MailerLite vs Substack Comparison
Compare MailerLite vs Substack features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
MailerLite
7.1/10
MailerLite is an email marketing platform for small businesses and creators, combining newsletters, automations, landing pages, sites, forms and digital product sales.
Substack
4.9/10
Newsletter publishing platform where writers, creators and small media businesses send free and paid email newsletters, podcasts and video to subscribers.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 7.1/10 | 4.9/10 |
| Scalability | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Ease of Use | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Customization | 7/10 | 3/10 |
| Security | 6/10 | 4/10 |
| Support | 5/10 | 2/10 |
| Cost | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Integration | 7/10 | 2/10 |
| Analytics | 6/10 | 4/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | $12/mo Comfort | Contact for pricing |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | $25/mo Power | Free Free |
| Features | ||
| A/B Testing | ||
| Segmentation | ||
| Email Marketing | ||
| Landing Pages | ||
| E-commerce Features | Not listed | |
MailerLite vs Substack cost by team size
MailerLite and Substack cost the same at 1 user; Substack costs less from 5 users.
| Team size | MailerLite | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeFree | FreeFree |
| 5 users | $25/moPower | FreeFree |
| 10 users | $25/moPower | FreeFree |
| 25 users | $25/moPower | FreeFree |
| 50 users | $25/moPower | FreeFree |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose MailerLite
- Higher Integration score (7/10 vs 2/10)
- Higher Customization score (7/10 vs 3/10)
- Better fit for e-commerce (7/10 vs 2/10)
- Better fit for marketing teams (6/10 vs 2/10)
- Includes A/B Testing, which Substack lacks
Why choose Substack
- Lower estimated cost for 10 users: Free vs $25/mo
- Higher Scalability score (7/10 vs 6/10)
- Better fit for content creators (10/10 vs 8/10)
Pros & Cons
MailerLite
Pros
- The interface is clean, and reviewers say automations are quick to set up even for first-time users.
- Automations are included even on the free plan.
- Paid plans start at $12 a month, which reviewers say is cheaper than Mailchimp or Constant Contact.
- Native e-commerce integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce and Stripe feed purchase-based automations.
- Reviewers report deliverability ranking first in an independent EmailToolTester test.
Cons
- Many users report accounts suspended or terminated with little warning and difficult appeals.
- Support is email-only on Comfort, and some reviewers say replies are slow.
- The free plan has been cut more than once and now allows only 250 subscribers.
- Prices rise steeply as the list grows, according to a competitor's analysis.
- Reviewers find reporting and segmentation limited for larger companies.
Substack
Pros
- Publishing and sending are free regardless of list size, so building an audience before charging costs nothing.
- The recommendations network and Notes feed help new writers find readers without paid acquisition.
- Paid subscriptions are built in, and writers keep ownership of their content and subscriber list.
- Newsletters, podcasts, video and livestreams can all be published from one account.
Cons
- The 10% revenue cut never decreases, so large paid publications pay far more than they would on a flat-fee tool.
- Independent reviews report no segmentation, no A/B testing and no automation beyond welcome emails.
- Reviews also report no API or Zapier integrations.
- Support is largely a chatbot, and Trustpilot reviews are very poor.
- In February 2026, Substack disclosed an October 2025 breach that exposed user emails and phone numbers.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
MailerLite scores higher on our Marketing criteria: 7.1/10 against 4.9/10 for Substack. The largest gap is in Integration: 7/10 for MailerLite and 2/10 for Substack.
Substack costs less for 10 users: free on its Free plan, against about $25/mo on its Power plan for MailerLite, billed monthly.
Yes, both MailerLite and Substack have a free plan.
MailerLite is the better fit for e-commerce: we rate it 7/10 for them, against 2/10 for Substack.
MailerLite has A/B Testing and Segmentation, which Substack lacks.
